ORIGIN

Blue-Plate One-Owner 1973 Datsun 510 Survivor

1/13/2008 Update: After several $5k offers, we were informed by multiple readers that this seller has decided to raise the asking price to $7500! Check out their comments on this post. Sounds like a great car with a difficult seller!

From 1/9/2008:

This 1973 Datsun 510 2-door is being offered by the original owner who has garaged the car since 1979. It only has 106k original miles and all the paint is factory except for the driver door which was re-painted many years ago. You can find it here on the seller’s own website out of Sacramento, California for a very reasonable $5k obo.

We like the original plates and the survivor condition. Usually when cars are pampered like this one they have some defect like an automatic trans or a 4-door body. This one has the right features: 2-door, manual trans, good production year, etc. It is great to see one in this kind of condition.

We also like the factory hubcaps and all original bumpers. So many of these cars have been modified that you rarely see these items intact in this condition. Check out original the steering wheel and horn ring! This 2-door model also came with full carpeting instead of floor mats…a rare Datsun offering! The car has a near perfect dash with optional tachometer and A/C.

The engine compartment could use some detailing but is in great condition. All original paint is intact, as are the body tags. We would give it a thorough cleaning and leave as many of the original finishes as possible.

It is rare to find any car this original and preserved, much less a desirable and sporting 510 coupe. We love original owner stories, and the plates and options just add to the excitement. The $5k asking price is not any more than you would pay for the same model in much worse condition, so we suspect this car will sell this week. If you are interested you had better hurry!

I just luv too see all the mula poured into these 510’s. In the late 70’s thru the 90’s I had fun with the six 510’s i’ve owned and parted with. Now to me they’re just a pile of inactive rust just like the other comment said. Money pit!! Now I like the new safer and faster cars today. No more wannabees..

If someone is serious about a 510, I found one here in Alberta. Someone stole the back wheel, but other than that it is in fair condition. Been outside for years tho. I think there are about 120K miles on it. ask if you want to know more. thanks dave

510 fans, rest assured I plan to preserve the car as is in its original condition as a fine stock twin to my ’72 BRE 510. It has a good home where it will be cared for, loved, and driven – and won’t show up on eBay next week for a quick profit. This one is a keeper!

January 15, 2008: I have notified a buyer that he can have the car for his $5,000 offer.

I made a mess of selling this car. After frustrating and confusing people with a an oddball “offer $5,000 and I’ll pick a winner” method, I also managed to get people PO’d at my by trying to change the sale terms to the usual way that used cars are sold. So, I’ve notified the first person to offer $5,000 for the car that he can have it for $5,000 if he wants it. I expect that he will want it. You can believe that or not, as you choose.

I apologize to the good people that I disappointed, or got mad at me, by blowing the sale of the car. I know that gas is expensive and that your time is valuable, and I’m sorry that some of you made useless trips to Sacramento from the Bay Area or beyond.

I drove from SF to Sacramento to see the car today under the understanding that my offer of 5K would be thrown into the hat with the rest of them. That is the understanding I left with as well, so it was a surprise to me to see later today that he has now reneged TWICE on previous deals.

The car is very original. Definitely worth 5K. But now that the owner has upped the asking price after saying that he would not…I am at a loss. As an earlier commenter said, why did he not go with the original “buy it now” price to the first person who showed up with the cash? The owner claimed he wanted the car to go to someone who would really appreciate it and not flip it, and that is why he was having a hard time deciding who to sell it to, but now that he has heard everyone tell him it is worth more than 5K, his ethical issues seem to be taking a back seat.

I love the car, and appreciate that someone kept it in this shape for so long. It is truly worth seeing. But I no longer feel like dealing with this guy. He is jerking everyone around and seems quite confused himself about what his priorities are. Almost worth the trip just to check it out, but at this point I do not think any offer even at 7500 (and that is way too high) should be given without distinct reservations.

Nice buy at $5K, but now the seller wants $7500 (because he had multiple offers at $5,000 and couldn’t decide which one to accept – whatever happened to “first person to show up with the cash gets the car.”?) I wonder what he’ll do if he gets multiple offers at $7500?

It saddens me that the original owner has, since 1979, garaged and so lovingly cared for this car that now, for whatever reason needs to sell the car and can only expect to get around $5k for it. All of that love and care yet the final payoff is at most $2k more than Michael (previous comment)could have paid for a similar car 25 years ago.

Although I imagine the asking price is in line with market, it just feels like so much care and attention should reap a larger return. At least they must have enjoyed the car while they owned it.

It’s 1983 I’m 17 and I’m standing with my Dad looking at the cleanest 510 I’ve ever seen (another fully-optioned 1973 original owner car with only 26,000 miles) The asking price was $3000, I had $2500 in my pocket, and the owner, a little old lady, wouldn’t budge. A half hour of hemming and hawing and Dad loaned me the rest. It was the best car I ever owned, and the only one I’d like to have back. If I could justify this one–as a father of 3–with two cars I don’t need already I would be all over it–1983 all over again.